Health in 2023: A deceptively busy year in fewer than 1 000 words

Posted in: Editorial, Latest

2023 was a busy year for healthcare in South Africa. We saw several promising policy developments, landmark court cases, important pieces of legislation, and some changes in leadership. Yet, take a step back and at facility level little seems to have changed. Shortages of healthcare workers persist, corruption is still rife, budgets tight, and our health governance crisis remains as acute as ever. Marcus Low looks back at the year in health in fewer than 1 000 words.

Health in 2023: A deceptively busy year in fewer than 1 000 words

Spotlight on Health: 2022 in under 1 000 words

Posted in: COVID-19, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest, TB

An HIV prevention injection approved in South Africa, several promising developments on the tuberculosis front, the National Health Insurance Bill grinding its way through Parliament, no end in sight to healthcare worker shortages, another dire year for health in Gauteng – Spotlight wraps up 2022 in under 1 000 words.

Spotlight on Health: 2022 in under 1 000 words

First HIV prevention injection approved in SA

Posted in: HIV/AIDS, Latest

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has authorised an injection containing the antiretroviral cabotegravir for use to prevent HIV infection, according to drugmaker ViiV Healthcare. Laura Lopez Gonzalez reports.

First HIV prevention injection approved in SA

Opinion: Ending HIV/AIDS inequalities to achieve equity and end the epidemic

Posted in: HIV/AIDS, Latest

As we look at the year ahead, urgent work remains to build on past successes and to bring the HIV epidemic sustainably under control. Amongst others, we need to address persistent stigma and discrimination, as well as the structural and social factors that put women and girls at increased risk of HIV infection, argues Rachel Toku-Appiah.

Opinion: Ending HIV/AIDS inequalities to achieve equity and end the epidemic

Editorial: HIV prevention injection should be fast-tracked like COVID-19 vaccines

Posted in: HIV/AIDS, Latest

Findings of two large phase III clinical trials first presented in 2020 showed a new HIV prevention injection to be highly effective. Yet, experts expect that the injection will only reach clinics in late 2022 or early 2023. If the rhetoric about bringing the urgency of COVID-19 to HIV is to mean anything, these timelines should be made shorter.

Editorial: HIV prevention injection should be fast-tracked like COVID-19 vaccines

In-depth: What will it take to bring HIV prevention injections to SA’s clinics?

Posted in: Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest

An antiretroviral injection administered every two months has been shown to be highly effective in preventing people from getting HIV in two large trials. Catherine Tomlinson asks what needs to happen before these injections become available to people in South Africa.

In-depth: What will it take to bring HIV prevention injections to SA’s clinics?

Health in 2021: Spotlight’s top 12 questions

Posted in: Latest

While COVID-19 will continue to make headlines for some time, 2021 will also be a critical year for healthcare reforms in South Africa and for various aspects of the country’s HIV and TB response. These are Spotlight’s top 12 healthcare questions for the year.